As You Are
by 13empress
Summary: AU. Spock is about to join Starfleet, but he has some reservations about human sexual habits, so he decides to conduct twenty four hours of research on the topic by spending the night with a prostitute. Kirk/Spock featuring Rentboy!Kirk
1. Chapter 1

He entered the station hotel café anonymous in his heavy desert cloak and restlessly searched the room. He found what he was looking for in a corner booth, her eyes riveted upon the data pad she held between her hands. She looked up and raised an eyebrow as he approached, somehow sensing him before he was within five standard meters. Glancing to make sure no one was paying attention, he sat.

'I am-'

She halted his words with a set of claws in his face, 'I need to see some ID. I run a legal business, understand.'

Spock reluctantly held out his ID and met the piercing gaze of the female. She wasn't human, not with the way her eyes blinked sideways, but from a distance, the resemblance was enough to make her appear human. Her eyes rolled down to his ID and she barked harshly, a strange whining noise. 'A Vulcan? Well,' She smacked the ID on the table and slid it over to him before smiling, her teeth clear like glass, 'I didn't know Vulcans were into these kinds of things - don't you mate once every seven years?'

He refrained from showing alarm as she leaned forwards and whistled low in her collar bones, a strange noise that he knew humans would not be able to detect by the naked ear. It was like an animal's hiss, but he knew it was a question. He frowned as she continued this ritual for a time, before finally sitting back, satisfied with what she gleaned.

'I am researching.' He said slowly, 'Human sexuality is-'

'Ah,' She purred, leaning over the table to tap one claw against his chest, 'I know what you want. That _particular_ fantasy is more popular that you think.'

He blinked, dismayed her at implications: Vulcans wanting sexual congress with humans was...? He frowned, 'No, Lady, I do not believe you understand: I am about to join Starfleet and there are several facets of human mating conduct that...'

She turned to her data pad and he watched as she scrolled through a list that he could not read from his vantage point, 'I have... one human currently, male. He is... approximately seven Vulcan years old. That's old enough right? Too young? Or will he do?' She turned the data pad around and held it out for inspection.

It was an image of a young human male, with startling blue eyes and light-colored hair, a physical trait rare on Vulcan. The young human had pleasant features, was smiling in a stereotypical human manner with his teeth parted through his slightly open mouth. His eyes were large and emotively constructed in comparison to Vulcan eyes, which were statistically slender and less revealing. Large eyes were not considered unpleasant by Vulcan ideals but humans had a preference for large eyes, the more emotive and revealing the better. He noted that the human's lips were generous, another human preference. The human was sexually desirable, he decided, for a human.

'He will be adequate.'

She smiled, her teeth gleaming in the lighting. Picking up her communicator, she made a call, speaking quietly in her native tongue. He turned and caught sight of the human, entering doors of the hotel with a frown upon his face. Turning in wide circles, he looked lost amongst the levitating luggage carousels before he caught the female's wave and waved back, smiling as he quickly made his way across the hotel atrium.

'Hey!' The human glanced at them both, curious, 'You called?'

He stiffened as the female stood and ran her claws gently along his shoulder, 'Jim, will you be a _nova_ and look after him? He likes _humans_.'

He swallowed down his absolute humiliation at having his intent announced so _vulgarly_. The female's reptilian mind twisted uncomfortably on the edge of his mental shields, and he dared not glance up to view the expression upon the face of young human "procured" for his sexual curiosity. Already, he was debating the wisdom of his venture, and whether or not he could tactfully end this engagement before it caused more anguish.

The female sat down and waved for the human to do the same. The young human sat down, more curious than before. She smiled and touched the human's face, what humans probably considered affectionate but to him, was repulsively invasive as he was neither her young or her mate. 'You may have him for twenty-four hours, for your _research_.'

Finally, with trepidation, he looked up and into the face of the young human. The young man smiled in the universal human manner of invitation, non-threatening. He had one arm resting on the table, his attention caught between something happening in the background and him, eyes even more blue and expressive than in the picture - a human in every way. Sexually desirable, he decided, for a human.

Spock met her gaze, 'That will be adequate.'

The human threw himself back on the bed, kicking off his shoes and removing his outerwear without permission. The familiarity was slightly disconcerting, but Spock reminded himself that he had asked the young human to pretend that he was human, and not curb his human instincts and habits in front of him. He finished hanging his cloak and slid the door of the old-fashioned closet close, feeling a sense of foreboding that he had not felt since the day before his rite of adulthood.

'Would you like a... drink?' He said awkwardly as he replaced the word "refreshment" - too Vulcan.

The human rolled himself onto his stomach and smiled at him, 'Sure, what have you got?'

'Mint and... Camomile tea.' He finished, realizing his mistake. Humans considered them unacceptable drinks to offer a prospective mate, even a trial mate. 'I'm sorry I don't drink... alcohol, or coffee…'

'That's okay. I'll have ah... mint tea.'

He nodded and quickly processed the order from the liquids dispenser.

'Do Vulcans like mint tea?' The human was seat now, arms around his legs. His expression was a mix of curiosity and... invitation.

'Earth teas are more... flavored than Vulcan tea.' It's the only description he could think of that summed up his experience of human beverages; mother was a particular devotee to French earl grey, a tea that he found exquisite to smell. Picking up the warm cup, he handed it to the human.

'Thanks.' There was a smile, and a tentative sip before another smile, more direct this time with eye contact. 'I like tea, but if you think this is flavored, you've got to get out more. You drink anything other than tea?'

'Yes,' He murmured, 'I've had... carbonated beverages.'

The human laughed briefly, his expression indicating that he found this exchange pleasant, even though they were merely exchanging opinions on human beverages. 'Oh, soft drinks - did bubbles go up your nose?' He didn't seem to want a reply, laughing again before clearing his throat, 'Um, they're usually real sweet, you like sweet things? I heard that Vulcans don't like sweet things.'

'That's true.' He replied, 'Our senses... are more sensitive, though our sense of taste is rather weak towards sweet foods and beverages. Generally we need less oral stimulation.'

The human laughed loudly, doubling over and almost spilling the tea. He raised an eyebrow at the behavior and wondered if he had made a linguistic faux pas. The human coughed slightly before smiling once more, in way that Spock knew humans found attractive.

'I've never met a Vulcan before.' The human made a face of disdain, 'Well technically I have, during my visit to the Embassy for a field trip when I was like eight, to learn about First Contact, but it's not like any of the guards talked to us besides telling us not to touch stuff and where the toilet was, so... no,' His eyes flicked back to Spock's, 'I've never met a Vulcan before. You know any humans?'

'Yes.' He stated, hesitant to reveal his hybrid background. Was this the part of the courtship where they were required to exchange personal information?

'Did you have to study First Contact in school? We had to study it, again, and again, _and again_.'

He had grown up studying the brutality of the pre-Reformation, the upheaval during the Time of Awakening, the enlightenment period that followed, and the peace of the post-Reformation. He studied the Human-Vulcan alliance and Vulcan hostilities with Andorra, human intervention (some would say "interference") in bringing an end to the militaristic Vulcan High Command, the troubled events leading to the Council of Babel and the formation of the United Federation of Planets. Unfortunately for Vulcan, First Contact had not been with humans, the most productive race that the Vulcans had ever made contact with, their contribution in conceiving, enacting and maintaining the Federation undeniable. No, First Contact had been with the ancient civilization that gradually evolved into the Orion Syndicate, and it had been... traumatic.

'I know of Zefram Cochrane.'

The human gave him a long look, 'But you didn't study him.'

He nodded. The human took another sip before leaning down and placing the cup on the floor.

'Come here,' The human said, patting the space besides him. 'Don't be afraid, I won't bite -' There was an amused look in his direction, 'Well, not unless you want me to.'

He approached cautiously and sat down as directed. The human smiled broadly. Mother had never bitten father - ever, to his knowledge... but maybe she had been attending to his Vulcan sensibilities. His stomach fluttered in response to the unknown. 'Isn't biting a Klingon trait?'

'Humans are versatile.' The human stated, and shifted closer, dangerously close. 'What do you want?'

He swallowed, and felt the automatic denials rise up: he didn't want anything, he just wanted to _know_. About humans, about human sex, all the stories, strange and even unpleasant that he had been told, if they were true or false, and if he was truly Vulcan as he thought or if he did have... human urges. This was his chance to find out, without anyone else knowing. Ever.

'I would appreciate... the most _human_ sexual experience.'

The human narrowed his eyes, 'You know that is too broad and would need clarification that we don't have time for in twenty-four hours.'

He knew. Humans were versatile.

The human smiled, 'But if you'll let me, I can show you what humans like, and the basics of human sexual acts, and _how_ we enjoy them.'

He met the human's odd blue gaze, slightly startled that this human was taking him seriously. But of course, he thought, that's why he approached this... _group_. It was what they were about: unique sexual experiences.

'That would be...'

Acceptable-

'Nice.'

The human leaned towards him and wetted his lips. Spock closed his eyes and fought down his instinctual response to draw back when he felt the light pressure on his lips, and tasted the aroma of mint tea, light and pleasant, seeping through his lips. There was a light tap against his lips with a foreign tongue and then hands, resting on the side of his face, stroking, touching, trailing, feeling -

He jerked back and seized the human by his wrists, pushing him back. Spock took a shaken breath, 'You must not touch my ears.'

The human's startled expression shifted to discomfort, 'Too much?'

He nodded weakly. Over-stimulation. And inappropriate.

He released the human's wrists. 'I'm sorry.'

His companion rubbed his wrists and gave him a long wary look, 'That's okay.'

'No, I am sorry – truly, I apologize, but you did, you... startled me,' He explained, aware that he had most likely hurt the human in his surprise. He watched carefully, trying to see if there was any lingering discomfort. He shifted uncomfortably and looked away; father had often warned him that his strength could alarm humans, could alarm mother.

'It's fine, it's fine.' The human glanced down, an amused touch to his small smile. Shaking his hands and flexing the fingers, blue eyes met his. 'Maybe you could try leaning forwards this time...? To make it easier?'

Yes, the kissing, his study.

Slowly, he leant forwards and closed his eyes. Their lips met. They remained like that for a minute, before the human pulled back slightly, a breath rushing between his lips and then reinitiated contact, soft full lips grasping at his, like they were trying to… capture him.

_Human kissing is a complex behavior that requires significant muscular coordination; a total of thirty-four facial muscles and 112 postural muscles are used during a kiss. The most important muscle involved is the orbicularis oris muscle, which is used to pucker the lips..._

He pulled back. The smell of mint was almost overpowering.

'That was... nice. Thank you.'

The human smiled at the compliment and held up his palms. 'May I...?' He asked, reaching slowly to touch his shoulders. Spock nodded.

The human tilted his head and surged up, pushing their faces together, his hands firm on his shoulders. Spock opened his mouth slightly in anticipation and felt a tongue hitting his, sliding over it in a wet minty caress. The human pulled back slightly and blinked at him, their faces so close that he could hear air sliding wetly along the human's laryngopharynx. 'That's tongue, or French kissing. Humans do it all the time.'

He stilled as he felt a hand slide along his shoulder to the nape of his neck, and then stroke the back of his neck in soft uneven circles. The human's blue eyes never left his face, carefully gauging his reactions. He felt his body respond to the stimuli with an intense rush of... pleasure and discontent and... _strangeness_. He had no other word yet to describe it.

'Now,' The human murmured, 'You kiss me, okay?'

Nodding slightly, he pressed their lips together, copying the motions, his lips moving as if it wanted to increase contact, wanted to capture, desired capture...

_Lips are a major erogenous zone for humans... the skin of human lips has three to five cellular layers, compared to the rest of their body, which has typically up to sixteen layers... otherwise referred to as stratified squamous epithelium, lips separate the skin of the face from the mucous membrane inside the mouth... which is represented by a significant area in the sensory cortex of a human brain... _

He paused before moving his lips gently apart and slowly rolling his tongue, seeking entrance. The human's lips softened and opened with a sigh, allowing maximum contact. As they continued to kiss, he began to feel a strange pressure in his mind, a haze, and realized with a start that it was coming from the human - the feelings of peace and gentle euphoria were coming from the young human. He closed his eyes and lightly probed, amazed that humans gained such psychological (and likely physiological, biochemical) benefits from such a simple act of tactile contact.

He pulled back finally to breathe and was surprised at the wetness left on his mouth. The human laughed softly, turning away and wiping his mouth with a sleeve before running a hasty thumb under Spock's lower lip. He felt his lips part at the contact. He had never created saliva... without food as stimulation. Fascinating...

'Um, sorry.' The human grinned, 'I think we both slobbered a bit.'

'Is this acceptable?'

'What is?'

'The over-production of saliva.'

The human tilted his head and grinned widely, 'Well it's not something humans _like_ but sure, it's alright. Some people don't like it, because it shows inexperience, but that's not really true - anyone can slobber, no matter how many times they've kissed. And it can be a good thing when two, um, prospective mates are kissing, and they happen to-' He gestured vaguely, '-slobber; it's an evidence of...' The human paused, eyes searching the room, 'Enthusiasm.'

'That you desire sexual congress?'

The human laughed and gave him a short kiss without warning, 'Sure, exactly, you got it.'

Spock felt a feeling of shock reverberate through his body from the contact. Swallowing, he wondered what now. The human leaned forwards, smile never leaving his lips, and ran a soft uncertain hand between his legs. Spock tensed but did not move. There was a raised eyebrow, 'Do I want to know?'

_Know what?_

The human gave him a long inquisitive look and then withdrew his hand, 'Never mind. Um, okay ah,' The human looked around and slid backwards till he was lying in the middle of the bed, 'This is comfy, come on.' He patted the space next to him.

Uncertain of his objective, Spock turned and crawled towards him, lying on his side and mirroring the human's pose. There was a warm smile to show pleasure at his response. With some wariness, the human placed his hands on his chest and stretched his neck out, lips wet. 'Most humans will like to kiss lying down, because they will, um, like to rub against each other. It feels good.'

Somewhat uncertain, the human closed his eyes and brought their lips together, kissing softly. He responded in like fashion. With a small sound of encouragement, he felt the bed shift as the human drew closer, a knee sliding along his outer leg as the kiss deepened, and once again he tasted mint and felt the joint caress of their tongues, sliding against each other, slow and soft, faster, quick and wet. The human pulled back, lips red.

'Don't freak out,' He whispered, 'But this is the part where if we were prospective mates, we ah, touch each other, under our clothing, so um, if you don't-' A cool hand rested at the base of his tunic, '-mind, I'm going to go first.'

Spock closed his eyes and rested his head down on the bed, his earlier feelings of being overwhelmed by the unknown almost... absurd. So far, the human had not attacked him, wrapped all his limbs around him to curb movement and then attempt to asphyxiate him by forcing him to swallow his own tongue. There had no raucous mating cries, no illogical complex exchanges of irrelevant items (he had heard that success of a union, proposal of courtship, depended on the order and manner these items were given to the desired mate). And most importantly there had been no invitations to eat copious amounts of animal by-product and drink alcohol in ritualistic glasses - his eyes snapped open as he felt kisses pressed to his stomach, and fingers shift nervously in light brushstroke patterns, tracing the sharp definition of his spinal cord.

He swallowed and felt an instinctual full body tremor as he processed the new stimulation. The human looked up and smiling, drew himself back up so they were face to face once more. 'Now you can try that with me, it's... think of it as an exploration. Your goal is to stimulate me, with your hands,' He felt a light touch on the back of his hand, 'Your lips...' The human kissed him softly at the edge of his jaw, 'And pretty much anything, your whole body can become involved. I will either enjoy it, or not enjoy it, and you will be able to moderate your touches according to my preferences.' He allowed his hand to be drawn up and placed against the human's stomach, 'This place, I like to be touched but not stroked - I um, get ticklish.'

Ticklish. That was human, wasn't it? Mother was ticklish along the arches of her feet, and directly under her chin, a stretch of skin ending at her vocal cords. The human shifted till he was upright and pulled his tunic over his head, discarding it on the floor carelessly. Suddenly, he turned and gave Spock a speculative look.

'If you want a truly human experience, I will have to pretend that you're a human... do you want to do that? I mean, will that be okay for you? Cos um, no offense, but all this stuff,' He shrugged and glanced away, 'I wouldn't say this, ever, to a human, I mean, yes we provide some kind of encouragement or instruction, but not like that... so, do you, want me to um, do it a little differently? More human?'

Spock sat and considered the human's statement. It was a logical suggestion; he would never have a human experience if his companion were to consistently treat him as an outsider, non-human. 'Okay,' He replied, adopting human colloquialisms, 'Sure.'

The human smiled brightly and tipped forwards, giving him another unexpected kiss, 'Good. Now, you're going to have to call me Jim, and I'm going to have to know your name.'

'Spock.' He responded, truthfully. It was only right since the human had revealed his real name, and there was no logic in keeping such information hidden when they were about to explicitly break every Vulcan standard of privacy and propriety.

Jim gave him a searching look, 'Spock, Spock,' He murmured without purpose, and gestured for him to come closer.

He shifted forwards till their knees were touching. The human kissed him, harder than previous kisses, his tongue insistent and demanding. Responding, Spock felt his hesitation leave as the sensations became more familiar and began to kiss back with growing boldness. His hands found smooth shoulders and slid upwards to caress the nape of Jim's neck, just as he had been touched.

The human was releasing a curious smell now, something sharp, to the point of being unpleasant, and yet there was a softer tone behind it, something... indescribable. He'd been long led to believe that humans smelt repugnant, excepting mother being different due to her Vulcan habits, and yet he disagreed; in contrast to other species he had come across at commercial docking stations between here and Vulcan, the smell of humans was certainly sharp and very potent but definitely not offensive enough to be considered "repugnant".

'Yes,' The human murmured against his lips, 'Just like that.'

He pressed forwards and felt the human moving, adjusting so that he could lie atop him in full bodily contact. He clutched the bedspread for balance as he slowly followed the physical cues. The kisses became softer, unfocused, as his senses became preoccupied by the feel of short hairs bristling against the tips of his fingers.

Jim looked at him, his eyes half-lidded and inquisitive. 'Do you like my hair?'

He drew his fingers through the side of the scalp and felt along the strands. It was rougher, coarser than his own hair. 'The coloring is... quite unique.'

Jim smiled, 'I've never seen a blond Vulcan.'

'They're rare, but they do exist. Light hair and blue eyes are a recessive trait - in this, Vulcans phenotypes are similar.'

The clear blueness of the human's eyes reminded him of the color found in the centre of the Shiabri nebula, and his hair was not unlike the wild zigzagging streaks outlining the Pon'shik nebula. Strangely... attractive. Hmm, the human murmured wordlessly, blue eyes flicking up and down his face, the small smile upon his lips suggesting that he was pleased with something.

'I was hoping you could clear something up for me.'

'Sure, shoot.'

Spock frowned, tucking away that particular phrase for later examination. 'Is it true that humans mate all year around, and with a very large number of prospective mates?' He refrained from asking more question but he was seriously concerned with how child-rearing was organized in such an environment (it had been suggested that human child-rearing could possibly have parallels with the Denobulans) and if the stories of the extensive trials endured by humans interested in mating with one another were as unpleasant as the examples recorded in a particular case study he had been fortunate to obtain a copy of through his father's contacts.

The human stared at him, silent. Spock leaned on an elbow and wondered if he had perhaps offended him; Vulcan mating rituals were never spoken of and while he'd always been told that humans frequently exhibited their sexual courtships and rituals for all to see, perhaps his agemates had been wrong, and there were certain notions of privacy that Vulcans xeno-sociologists had yet to touch upon.

'Sort of. But ah...' Jim shook his head, 'It's not - it's kind of hard to explain, it's not something I can just, _tell you_, it's um,' Jim gave him an embarrassed smile, 'Sorry.'

There was a brief sensation of disappointment, but logically, he should not have expected any different; Terran studies were a popular branch of xeno-sociological research for a logical reason – humans were versatile, adaptive, mimickers, surprisingly complex. Even with mother being human, there were many things he didn't understand and had been taught to ignore as… irrelevant.

There was a tentative kiss upon his cheek, and then over his eyes lids, his eyebrows, along his nose, making him shut his eyes in response. He felt hands exploring his back, often idly exploring his spinal ridges with singular fingertips. Sliding his hand down past Jim's collar, he flattened his palms across the human's breast and felt the pulsation of his heart. He'd never felt it so closely before. How... curious. Suddenly, there was a kiss against his neck, followed by a little gasp for breath as Jim tilted his head to the right and surged up to suck at his collar. The human grinned up at him.

'Take off your clothes.'

Pushing himself upright, he stood on his knees and drew his tunic over his head, casting it to the floor in the human manner though it was distasteful to him. Jim also sat up, his hands undoing the clasp of his pants and shoving them roughly down his legs, kicking them off wildly and then (illogically) laughing when they swung around to hit the nearby wall lamp.

'Whoops,' The human grinned, hand by his mouth, 'Um, sorry, won't do that again.'

Self-conscious, Spock lowered his eyes as he undid the clasp for his pants. He stood and pushed them past his hips, knees and then ankles, before stepping out of them and sweeping his pants neatly off the bed with a foot. Lowering himself back on the bed in a reclining position, he shivered when his human companion followed him, lying so close that they were skin to skin and he could clearly feel the coolness of Jim's flesh. A hand stroke his back and there was a lingering kiss to his shoulder.

'Touch me,' Jim murmured in his ear, a hand trailing across his forearm and pulling his hand forcibly closer, 'Touch me, and kiss me back, and just don't stop, don't stop, okay?'


	2. Chapter 2

The human shifted away, rolling onto his back and his spine forming an arch, before turning to face him. He wondered what they were to do now. Kissing had been covered, as well as touching, common methods of foreplay, common erogenous zones on the human body, and hugging, which he had actually always thought of as a familial gesture. According to the sporadic explanations, it was a social gesture between friends in greeting/departure, expressing happiness, as comfort for distress (physical, mental and emotional), as well as a courtship gesture, to be used sparingly between prospective mates to show affection, to greet, as a prelude to kissing and interludes between sexual activities. It was, according to Jim, the most prolific and widely used form of tactile contact, applicable in almost every positive social interaction.

'Aren't you tired?'

'Vulcans require less sleep than humans.' He replied, his hand finding rest on a hipbone.

The human grinned at him, 'You're a fast learner.'

Yes but this was absolutely fascinating. Especially – he glanced down at the human genitalia resting against his abdomen – having primary tactile information on human sexual organs that he had previously only seen in diagrams during xeno-biology was... almost, exhilirating. It was… external, as he'd been warned, and rather… cumbersome when sexually active. There was a blow of cool air across his forehead and he looked up, startled. The human grinned and slid Spock's hand from the hipbone to the strange fur just above and spreading to cover his pubis.

'You're curious aren't you?' Jim raised his eyebrows, smile taking on a challenging lilt, 'Well, go on then, you've been behaving, stop staring and touch it.'

Spock swallowed, fingers curling in the wiry soft hairs. Slowly, his hand drifted lower. It was hot, warmer than the rest of Jim's body, solid but soft, fleshy and – fascinating, he could literally feel it pulsating in time to the human's relatively sluggish heartbeats! Sliding his hand lower, he felt a strange sense of... wonder as his palm smoothed over it. The human made a soft noise and clutched his shoulders, face pressed against his. Oh, Jim whispered, ohhh, air rasping almost musically across his laryngopharynx.

'You know, you've-' The human made a strange sound, a mixture between a laugh and the fuller, thicker guttural sounds of a cry, '-got a really firm hand.'

He loosened his grip. 'I'm sorry.'

'No, no, it was good, it was a compliment.' Jim rested his hand atop his, 'Keep going, just… be careful.'

Of course. Careful. He slowly maneuvered down so that he was eyelevel with the human's navel and ran his fingers over the skin covering – it was a different texture than regular skin. It was overall alike yet different from the holo-diagram they had explored during class. There were also indents and grooves, hinting at blood vessels and other internal features just beneath the dermal surface. It was… remarkably familiar, not as alien as he had expected, besides the strange appendage it stretched from that was distinctively non-Vulcan.

'And that's enough for now.' The human said, hands combing through his hair and stroking his shoulder, 'If you stare anymore, I'm going to develop a complex.'

Feeling somewhat disappointed, he returned to his previous position, allowing Jim to place a leg over his own and fit their hips and torsos closely together. What next, he thought, with a sense of anticipation. Despite his initial misgivings, this was far more interesting than he had imagined.

'You got to see mine, so…' The human trailed off, staring at him expectantly, 'Would it be – I mean, I know, well, um, can I see yours?' The human narrowed his eyes and smiled weakly, hand sliding cautious down his torso. 'Please?'

Spock shifted back, troubled. He had yet to completely undress, and he wasn't certain if he would be comfortable doing it in front of a human whom he had knew for barely one human day. Physical examinations had been a regular part of his normal schedule as a youth, and had not been appreciated. He was well-known at the Vulcan Science Academy's biology department and their medical research facilities, which conducted his half-yearly examinations. Every aspect of his growth and sexual maturation had been recorded for posterity, his reflexes, his reactions to sensory stimulate, the rate of his growth, his comparative biology to other Vulcans of the same age, of a similar developmental stage, of the same clan; every injury; every illness; every abnormality.

The human embraced him, a hand sliding over his spinal cord in the curious broad strokes he starting to enjoy. 'Look, forget I asked. We can just keep on doing this till you're satisfied.'

But Spock was not satisfied. Knowledge was the best defense against the unknown. There were many things about Vulcan societal ideals that he was beginning to question, but that statement had proven itself consistently. Humans were… an alternative, and he would not be satisfied until…

'What do you enjoy?'

The human rolled back and looked at him, 'What?'

'What basic human sexual activities do you enjoy?'

Jim looked at the ceiling, a strange blowing sound emitting from his mouth, 'Okay, well, like I said we're pretty versatile. I liked what we've done so far.' The blue eyes met his and curved in mimicry of a smile, 'But if you were human, I would have performed an examination of your, um, geni- err, your co- your private bits, sexual organs, you know, but like with-' An uncertain expression crossed his features, '-with my hands and lips, like, kissing you, only, ah, _down there_…?' There was a cringe and suddenly the human sat up, hand on his forehead and an unknown expression etched across his face.

He sat and touched the curve of the human's spine, softly defined and almost invisible under his skin (alien, his mind whispered). 'I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry and I won't be offended if you were to speak frankly.'

The human turned and gave him another speculative look, more intense than previous ones. He leaned on a hand and tugged lightly at Spock's undergarment, '_This_ needs to go.'

He nodded and holding his breath, lied on his back, brought his legs up and swiftly took off his undergarment, discarding it somewhere on the floor. Apprehensive he returned to face his companion. There was a strange smile on the human's face, and his eyes were focused between his legs.

'You are_ male_, right?'

'Yes, but my primary sexual characteristics are protected within my body, unlike yours.'

Jim's eyes widened, 'You mean you have a _retractable_ cock?!'

He raised an eyebrow, wary of the extreme reaction. 'Were you… unaware of this anatomical difference?'

The human gave him another wide-eyed stare and promptly collapsed back on the bed, his hands covering his face as he began to laugh: 'Oh my God! I am _so sorry_! I am not laughing at you-' The human uncovered a part of his face and shot him a guilty look, before descending once more into respiratory upset. He sat up, concerned. Humans didn't breathe when violently laughing, he remembered - mother would lose cognitive abilities when she laughed. 'I really am not! Seriously! _Retractable_!! That is like – SHIT!' Jim rolled away from him and continued to convulse, the extreme constriction of his larynx by the epiglottis almost audible. He sat more upright and raised his hand, preparing to comm. for medical assistance.

Finally, after several quick glances and more quiet laughter, the human sat up and cleared his throat, face flushed and his eyes glistening with traces of tears. 'I'm sorry, but, it _seems_ that I fell um, asleep, that day in class. So no, sorry, um I wasn't _aware_ – seriously…' Jim shrugged and gave him a sheepish smile.

Spock frowned but was relieved that the human appeared to be fine from the bout of respiratory upset. Rolling his eyes, the human shuffled over on his knees and kissed him soundly on the base of his chin before engaging his mouth, and then down lower, hand tilting his head up to facilitate kisses along his clavicle while the other hand descended till it was resting against his lower abdominal region.

'Lie down,' The human murmured, kissing him on the sternum, hands insistent.

He complied reluctantly, the objective unclear to him. With a small closed-mouth laugh (how curious, he didn't know humans could laugh like that) Jim ran his tongue down the length of his stomach, leaving behind a trail of cooling saliva. It felt oddly pleasant, and he touched it with his fingers, curious.

_Unlike Vulcans, humans are able to salivate from emotional or external sensual cues and not limited to digestive saliva production… _

'What's this?' The human asked, breathing against his pubis.

Sitting up, he watched wide-eyed as Jim leaned on an elbow and gently brushed his fingers across the two fleshy areas surrounding his private region. 'It operates like the human testes.'

'Huh…' The human glanced at him, a delighted gleam in his eye, 'It feels like an extension of your pubic bone. It like you're a…' The human gave him a toothy grin, 'A twenty-first century androgenic doll.'

Spock tilted his head, 'Excuse me?'

The human's eye probed his nether region with an almost fervent intensity, making him feel the beginnings of a blush climbing over his neck and jaw. 'They were plastic imitations of children, people, a toy that kids used to play with. They're still popular in the colonies, but basically, they never had any primary sexual characteristics – the male dolls, they'd be like you,' Jim looked up and smiled, 'All smooth-' He resisted the urge to jolt at the sudden caress, '-and nothing to see.'

'Under Vulcanoid climate conditions, it would not be completely hidden.'

Jim sat up and looked at him, 'Yeah?'

'Yes, but with the cooler climate on the Jupiter station, my body is compensating for the loss of heat.'

'You're cold…?' The human tilted his head slightly to his left, eyes narrowed as he frowned, uncertainty etched over his brow. '…And so this is like- like… _shriveling_?'

Spock nodded reluctantly. He knew that the human found the temperature in the hotel lodgings perfectly amiable, but he had to admit, it was starting to be… a bit cool for his liking. With quick movements, the human suddenly flipped over a corner of the bedding and crawled till he was able to slide inside. Looking at him with an expectant expression, Jim waved for him to follow. Gratefully, he got off the bed and slipped under the covers. Lying side by side, Spock wondered if humans had sex under covers. He knew that they enjoyed sexual intercourse while lying down, but he'd heard that all records of humans engaging in coitus were in open-air, revealing every detail of their joining.

His abdomen flexed as a hand slid across the skin. Giving him a confused smile, Jim came closer and kissed him on the mouth, opening his lips and encouraging him to respond. Slowly, he turned and began to stroke and touch as they had before. There were low sounds of encouragement, until once more he was swept up in a vast array of sensory information, everything from the cool pleasant wetness of Jim's mouth, to the reflexive sway of his hips, as if attempting to become closer to him than they were already, and the encouragement of his exploration of the human's back, and then lower. Finally breaking the kiss, Jim's hand slowing crept across his hipbone till it came to rest at the end of his spine.

'You better know someone real well or have an explicit invitation to touch someone here.' There was a flex of fingers against his posterior and a cheerful smile. Glancing down in the darkness under the blankets, he slowly caressed the curve of the human's buttocks. A cool hand rested upon his, urging him to remain and explore. Anxiously glancing down, Spock flexed his fingers and pressed, delving into the cleft. The human hummed quietly in encouragement and touched him in a similar manner. He shifted, slightly startled by the coolness.

'Do you want to fuck me?'

Spock met the human's blue eyes, unsettled by the forceful question and its directness. Looking away, he withdrew his hand and shifted back. 'I'm… not – is that expected?'

Jim shrugged and threw an arm and leg over him under the cover, face hidden against his neck. 'Sure, I mean, well it's the whole _point_. Fucking, copulation, whatever you want to call it. There's lot of other things we can do, but ah, well that's the basic MO. And, and-' Jim raised his face, kissing him awkwardly on the chin before grinning, '-it feels really great.'

'But I'm not…' He shifted down so he was face to face with the human. 'I understand that humans are able to mate for reasons other than marriage and reproduction, but I am not sure that I will be able to – I cannot – it doesn't seem...'

_It doesn't seem quite respectful to treat human sexual intercourse as a recreational activity… even for genuine investigative purposes…_

He took a deep breath and glanced over the human's shoulder, uncertain of what to say. Suddenly his entire body jerked violently, and a strong sensation screamed through his nerves. Grabbing the appendage responsible, he quickly removed Jim's hand from his pubis. Wide-eyed, the human pulled back from him.

'Sorry! Ah sorry! I just- I didn't mean to do that! I was just touching! Ah – just touching!' The human's words were rushed, apologetic.

He released the human's hand and breathed hotly, his body abuzz with strong sensations he had not felt since physical maturation at the Vulcan age of seven, and he'd first became aware that his sexual maturation was progressing at a faster rate in comparison to his peers. It'd been almost awkward to observe his other agemates during that period, male or female, for there was always this inexplicable urge for something he could not properly define. He wondered if this was a human thing. He'd never told anyone else about the feelings, though he was certain that the doctors had suspected but…

'Just…' He breathed, 'Be careful.'

The human nodded, flustered, hands held up in a pose of appeasement. 'Okay sure – careful – sure, you got it. Kiddy gloves on, _I swear_.'

Exhaling loudly, he returned his hand to its familiar resting spot on the human's hipbone. The blue eyes flicked to his, a hint of surprise in its depths. He was given a slow smile as Jim kissed him softly on the lips, one after another, sometimes nothing more than a brush of lips, and his anxiety was quickly overwritten by his desire to explore. Slowly, he slipped his hand down further, till his fingers were pressed against the back of the human's arousal, between his legs. Suddenly the human body in his arms shuddered violent and there was a wet forceful oral caress, match by hands stroking and touching him all over, intent as if they were looking for something. Unsure, he froze.

'Hmm,' Jim murmured against his lips, eyes closed, 'Oh, that's it, but wait, let me get something, it'll make this easier.' Disentangling, the human lunged over the side of the bed before he rolling back under the blankets, placing an unknown object on his chest.

'Need your hand.' The human pulled his dominant hand to him. A silicon rubber-like sheath was fitted over his index and middle finger, with a webbed area between the individual sockets which connected to the small device strapped against his palm. Pulling his hand against his chest, the human deliberately pressed his covered fingers to his skin. A small amount of clear substance was left behind. Running a finger though it, the human leant forwards and with a smirk, dabbed it on his nose, surprising him.

'Lubricant.' Jim said, enunciating the word. 'We'll need it if we want to get anywhere. It'll make it feel really good later. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe.'

'And this will,' He examined the device on his hand carefully, uncertain about its application in a sensitive area despite the assurances, 'Make you feel… aroused?'

The human laughed dryly, 'Um, no, I'm already aroused.' There was a slight playful thrust against his thigh, 'No, _this_, this is to make me receptive to... well, sex. Like – oh just gimme your hand-' He swallowed reflexively as the human rolled around and pulled his hand was down between his legs. 'Just, feel around, stick it up my ass, move around and it'll do the rest, okay?'

He nodded faintly, his attentions completely absorbed with what was happening under the blankets. Slowly sliding his fingers between the legs, he shifted his fingers carefully, pressing and nudging before he found a point of weakness. Pressing forwards, his senses alert for any sign of distress, he felt his skin jump when Jim made a sudden wordless sound. From the way that the human shifted back against him, it seemed positive. He continued to probe, slow and gentle and then harder, pressing his finger pads against the interior wall as he'd been shown till the human was making low moans and rolling his hips. Taking a deep breath, he felt a stir in his intestinal tract; he was affected, he was feeling… _significantly_ affected.

'Do you know…?' The human whispered, gasping for air, 'Do you know… how _warm_ you are? You feel so _hot_ and… ugh…' There was a short breathless laugh, 'You are like… literally _hot,_ and oh, oh it feels really-' Jim gave small moan and rolled his hips. '-damn good.'

Finally he felt a touch on his arm, and his companion attempt to roll around to face him. With a pleased and slightly dazed smile, Jim stretched up and kissed him firmly. 'Hmm, okay, I'm pretty sure that I'm ready. So,' Smirking in a peculiar manner, the human glanced down and once again touched his pubis, fingertips ghosting over his skin. 'Now, what do you say?'

Closing his eyes, Spock felt tepid air slide along the surface of his erection it slowly extended. Opening his eyes, he watched the reaction of the human closely. The differences were mostly superficial, but he did want to know if humans would find it unsettling or just… curious. With an odd intensity, the human tilted his head, forehead bumping into his ribs as his eyes remained fixed between their bodies. There was a very soft caress against its side, and a breath of cool air. He shivered.

'It looks… kind of the same.'

He wasn't sure if that was relief, curiosity or displeasure in Jim's voice.

'But it's all…' There was another feathery touch, 'Slick, and you've,' There was a small laugh, 'You've got like… no foreskin, in fact…' He tensed when the human wriggled down to be closer and he felt a very careful soft kiss against him. Spock took a sharp breath and felt a palatable relief when Jim stopped his tactile examination.

A leg slid along his, giving him a firm nudge. 'Lie on your back. It'll make it easier.'

Rolling over to lie on his back, he swallowed and wondered if it was normal to be so anxious. He struggled to remember the various information he had read on preferred positions for aiding sexual congress, but his mind was consumed with processing all the tactile sensation as well as cross-referencing everything he had learnt so far with all of the official texts and hearsay he had learnt as a youth.

Jim sat astride over his pelvis with a grin on his face. 'So, how about it?' He said, leaning forwards and sliding his hands to rest against his shoulders, thoroughly pinning him to the bed. 'Yes or no? Because now that you've decided to come clean, I can try some other stuff with you if you want.'

Curiosity piqued, he met the human's eyes, 'What _things_?'

'Well…' The human took his hand and began to remove the device, 'I could kiss you and touch you, only, you know, down there. A blowjob, head – don't let the names fool you. It's a sort of kissing, very deeply, like Frenching but like, more. It's more a suck thing than a blow thing.'

He tilted his head, an unsettled feeling fluttering through his solar plexus. 'You're not to… bite it off are you?'

'_What?_' Jim's face became horrified, 'No! _No!_ Spock! Where the hell did you-! _Why_ do you think that I'm going bite you? I mean, _sure_ I'll do if you _want_ me to, if you _like_ it, but not _there_!'

So there was biting. He swallowed, 'Under what circumstances do humans bite?'

The human raised an eyebrow at him, and reluctantly gave him a bemused smile. 'When we're _annoyed_ during intercourse, when we want to unsettle during foreplay, and when there is explicit consent and its mutually satisfying.' On those words, the human smacked him on the lower ribs, hard. 'It's _always_ light, always to cause sensation and _not_ to alarm. Honestly Spock, do you think we're all a bunch of carnivores or sadists or something?!'

'Vulcans are vegetarians.'

Jim blinked, his smile widening, 'You're joking.'

'Vulcans don't joke.'

Throwing his head back the human laughed lightly, the sound scraping through his teeth. 'Yeah but Vulcans sure like to _gossip_ about human sexual behavior; and here I was thinking you guys were like these scientific giants, all work and no play, but now-' There was an accusing finger pointed at his face, '-I know the truth.'

Spock frowned, not really understanding what the human was implying. Opening his mouth to ask, he promptly swallowed his words as Jim shifted back and undulated himself atop his arousal in a suggestive manner. Spock felt his breathing increasing as he felt the distinct sensation of the human's cooler hand grasping him firmly and then-

Opening his mouth, he gasped, his breathing arrested. There was a long moan against his sternum, where the human's forehead rested as his thighs flexed and gripped at his hips. It felt very, very pleasurable. The muscles in his pelvis convulsed sporadically and there was an urge to push up, thrust up into the tight space he was caught within. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. It was… intoxicating.

'This…' The human murmured, breathless, 'Is fucking. You're fucking me.'

Trembling he settled his hands on either side of the human's hips and wondered if it was painful. Jim was flushed and the tension of his face implied that he was under physical duress, perhaps even in pain.

Gradually the movements became more fluid, and the expression on the human's face changed to one of concentration, hazy smiles and open-mouthed gasps. He stroked the side of the human's legs and attempted to sit up, only to be rebuffed by a rough shove. The human lay flat against him, hands gripping the blanket tight around his shoulders as his hips kept moving. He moaned loudly, muffling himself with a fist full of bed cover.

'There's a small gland inside-' The human moaned, his entire back arching, before his head dropped down to rest against Spock's lower ribs, his hair brushing across his skin, leaving a trail of wetness '-and every time, oh, you push in, it feels- it's so- fucking good. Vulcans, do they have this too?'

No. He didn't know. He wasn't sure. He couldn't remember.

_Though humans possess pores for liquid absorption in the construct of their epidermis, they are operated by "sweat glands" to shed moisture (and waste) for the purpose of body temperature regulation…_

Spock touched Jim's shoulders and stared at the ceiling, feeling his control slipping as his calves tightened and his hips began to jerk, rising upwards to meet each downward thrust. Closing his eyes firmly, he began to thrust upwards. He felt the human dragging one of his hands and pressing it insistently at his arousal.

'Touch me here.'

He complied.

'Oh yes, like that…' Jim murmured against his chest, breaths cool and wet. 'You're warm, you're so fucking warm, you're so _fucking warm_, and – oh, ohh, don't stop.' Spock gritted his teeth and moaned. The human laughed, breathless and weak, little moans reverberating over the back of his throat. The human stretched over him, cheek resting against his lower ribs, leaving streaks of moisture where ever he touched. Spock ran a hand down the flat of Jim's back. His hand became wet. It was human sweat, he realized in a daze, feeling its thinness, its viscidity imprinting across his fingers_._

_Not Vulcan at all…_

He ran his hand down the front of the human's body, fascinated by the process of the body cooling down through expelling moisture. Restlessly moving about, the human opened his eyes and gave him a sleepy look. He removed his hand and wondered if perhaps he should not have disturbed Jim from his short sleep.

'Hello,' The human said weakly, 'What's the time?'

His eyes flicked to the console at the head of the bed, 'It is 1622.'

'Huh… only another hour.'

He realized that the human was referring to the end of their association. With a grunt, Jim maneuvered onto his elbows and gave him a tired look, 'Get me a drink, will you? Got any lemon tea?'

He nodded. He had memorized the tea menu during the night. 'With or without sweetener?'

'Lots of sweetener please and make it cold, thanks.'

Getting off the bed, he processed the order and quickly returned with the tea. The human took it and drank deeply, finishing before requesting two more cups. It seemed that the "sweating" did have consequences on his body's liquid requirements. A excessive and illogical waste - if this was the true state of a human body's temperature regulation, mother's preoccupation with beverages seemed to be a biological imperative rather than a preference. He wondered if the human could just as easily replace his internal moisture through showering or bathing or even heavy air moisture, as he could. He doubted it somehow.

The human paused in his drinking and stared back at him, 'What? I'm thirsty and I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. You owe me dinner, breakfast and lunch. When she said twenty-four hours, I didn't think you'd take that literally.'

'I'm sorry.' He said, suddenly aware that he'd made a significant mistake.

Despite his focus on having a "human" experience, he had forgotten that he could no longer expect Vulcan physical tolerances. During his studies for the VSA, he had often been able to continue to work for several human days without food or rest when in the middle of complex programming corrections or a particularly fascinating experiment. Mentally, he made a note to remember this when he began interacting with the other (mostly human) cadets at Starfleet: a minimum of two meals, one and a half liters of water and eight hours of sleep within a thirty hour cycle.

Jim put the cup on the bed head and lied back down, yawning and stretching. He sat on the edge of the bed and wondered if he should order some food.

'So, any last thrills you want to cover?' The human said, rolling onto an elbow and smiling at him.

He wondered if all humans had this kind of easy-going disposition or if Jim was a particular branch or type of human. He understood there were approximately eight billion humans currently spread through the systems of the Federation, and that they were divided into nations, cultures and regions, with complicated systems of allegiance to their place of residence/birth, their family unit, their genealogy, their culture, and various philosophical/religious/political associations. It apparently had a large impact on their interests, influenced their choices in food, clothing, choice of mate, their temperament, syntax, vocabulary, and career-choice.

'What type of human are you?'

The human frowned, 'What do you mean?'

'What is your nation? Your region?'

Jim smiled, 'Well under old Earth ideas, I am an American national, and my region is Iowa.'

'Are these designations important? I know a human who is a Canadian national, region Vancouver.'

'That's a city.' The human said, 'The region is British Columbia.'

'Do these designations matter?'

The human shrugged, and made a vague gesture, 'Tell the truth, I don't really know. You guys have like a ten thousand year old civilization and you still learn about stuff from eight thousand years ago and name ships after famous people that have been dead for six thousand years, what do you think?'

Spock frowned, 'So it's a kind of tradition?'

Jim shrugged and gave him a wide-eyed shake of the head, 'Nah, sorry, can't really tell you – you'll probably get a better explanation from someone at the Vulcan Science Academy.'

At the reminder of what he had left behind, Spock felt disdain and disappointment. Meeting the inquisitive gaze of the human who had been a great aide to alleviating his concern over the complexities of human courtship and mating habits, he felt a strange sense of certainty, that it had been correct to leave Vulcan and see... humanity for himself. This was one of his mother's people, and this human had been… very kind. He wondered if all humans were like this – it would, he thought hopefully, make his self-imposed exile from Vulcan easier to explain, and his new life among humans easier to bear. Picking up the cup left by Jim, he went to the dispenser and filled it with more lemon tea.

'Thanks.' The human accepted it gladly and took a loud sip.

He sat down on the bed, 'You mentioned that touching and hugging is widely applied in many social situations, could you please clarify that?'

'What do you mean?'

He frowned, 'What do the touches convey to humans?'

Taking a long gulp, the human glanced to the side, deep in thought. 'Well…' Jim said, biting the rim of the cup, 'If someone was to touch you say on the arm, like a long stroke – just one stroke, downwards, that's usually used between people who are close, close friends or family members…'

'And mates?'

'Definitely.' Drinking the rest of the tea, the human put the cup on the bed head and patted the covers next to him. 'Look, just come here, okay, it'll be easier to just show you.'

Sliding onto the bed, he settled himself in an upright seated position, knees bent as he turned his body towards his human companion.

There was a light clasp on his shoulders with one hand. 'This is: look at me, listen to me.'

He knew this one. Mother had often laid a hand on his shoulder when speaking to him, only stopping when he had reached 15 human years old. The human inched forwards and embraced him, hands high upon his back. 'Hello, how are you, I'm glad to see you.'

The hands shifted lower, the human's arms immobilizing his movements. The hands began to stroke across the planes of his back, 'You'll be okay; I'm here with you; don't be sad, don't be angry; I'm sorry, don't run away.'

The arms released him and then snaked under his own, squeezing him tight against the human's cooler form, 'I am really, really happy to see you; we haven't seen each other in a long time and I really missed you.' The arms loosened and the hands dropped lower, till they were resting over the curve of his back side. He stilled, the sensory memory of last night resurfacing briefly. 'I want to touch you, you are attractive, I'm considering further sexual activities with you, you're mine, I'm into you.'

Jim took his arms and drew them around him, 'Hug me back.'

'Does the message change?'

The human smiled mysteriously, 'Sometimes.'

They embraced briefly, hands high over each other's shoulders. 'We're friends and we are excited to see each other again. We're in a difficult situation together but we'll protect each other.' He moved his arms slightly lower, securing the human in his arms. He felt Jim do the same to him, squeezing his ribs. 'We're close, family. I think you are wonderful. I'm hurting don't let go.' Drawing back, he slid his hands along the human's side and then stroked the nude flesh on the human's back. Jim shivered and then stroked him through his tunic, 'Stay awhile and comfort me, I want to feel that we care, that we love each other, we'll be fine because we've got each other.'

His hands shifted lower till he was touching the bare flesh of Jim's bottom. The human did the same. 'We're going to kiss, we're going to enjoy one another, we are sexually engaged, we're only paying attention to one another.'

Suddenly, the human released him and drew back, lying back against the pillows with a sleepy expression on his face, 'Friendship, family members, for initiating courtship, during courtship, during mating, and even when you're married.'

'And touching?' He asked, throat dry.

The human held up his hand, his eyes half-lidded. Spock leaned closer.

There was a gentle stroke down the side of his face with a cool clammy palm, 'I care about you; you are important; I am paying attention; tell me; focus on me.'

The human drew the back of his hand down his face, the touch almost ghostly, 'Don't be sad. You're beautiful.'

There was a stroke of a thumb over his mouth, and feathery touches of finger tips over his chin, his jaw, his mouth, as if they were exploring something, as if they were drawing pleasure. Jim smiled.

'Kiss me.'

Standing at the sight of the female, he bowed his head briefly in greeting to her. She smiled, showing off her clear teeth, eyes drifting to the figure between them. Spock glanced down. The human gave him a questioning look, half-way through masticating a mouthful of Chicken Marsala. Excusing himself, he made his way to the edge of the atrium.

'How was your research?'

He met her reptilian gaze, 'Very successful, thank you.'

She nodded, a satisfied look upon her face, 'Good. I hope he took good care of you.'

'He did, thank you.'

'Well, it seems our business is concluded.' The female held out her open claws.

Withdrawing the credit clip, he handed it over. She took out a checker, ensuring that it contained the agreed balance. Satisfied that he had fulfilled his side of the agreement, the credit clip and her checker disappeared into a utility belt hanging low across her hips.

'Tell him that we leave at 2000 hours, Junction 12, Dock F. Remind him not to be late this time.'

Turning she left, disappearing quickly into the thick crowd of new arrivals disembarking from a Starfleet transport. Most appeared to be cadets, en route to the Academy; he wondered if they had been on a field trip, mission training or were coming back from shore leave. He returned to the table and sat down. Jim gave him a curious look, still eating.

'What up?'

'Your transport will be leaving at 2000 hours, Junction 12, Dock F – don't be late.'

The human shrugged, 'Oh, plenty of time. Your connection soon?'

'No.'

Jim gave him a confused look, 'You don't _live_ on Jupiter Station do you?'

'I am a temporary resident. I am waiting for my application of permanent Earth residency to be processed.'

The human laughed, scrapping his fork loudly against his almost empty plate, 'Seriously? You wanna go live there? You work for the Embassy or something?'

He frowned at the reminder that he will not be able to distance himself from his father as much as he would have desired. 'No. I've been accepted into Starfleet.'

Jim smiled down at his plate, 'Oh, well good for you, it'll be great, a Vulcan in Starfleet – you could start a trend you know.'

He highly doubted that. 'What is your next destination?'

The human shrugged, eyes fixed on something happening in the distance, a vague smile on his lips. 'Dunno, Kaeferia, maybe even Andorra or P'Jem. Who knows.'

A silence descended upon the table. Taking a deep breath, Jim placed his knife and fork down on the plate and sat back, rubbing his stomach. 'Just what I needed.' Turning and glancing at the public chronometer, the human made moves to stand. 'I should probably go-'

He stood, 'I am… very appreciative of your assistance with my research.'

Jim rubbed his nose, shrugging. 'It's nothing. Enjoy Earth – hey,' He looked up and grinned, 'You should go bar hopping when you're at the Academy – the Castro's pretty easy to get to, heard there's free shuttles for cadets on weekends and Friday nights.'

He refrained from reminding the human that he was not affected by alcohol, and that the music levels enjoyed by humans during recreation were actually quite damaging to Vulcan hearing.

He nodded, 'I will try to remember that.'

The human smiled, and held his arms open. 'Last one…?'

Resisting the urge to glance around for watchful eyes, Spock stepped forwards and lightly hugged the human. Jim patted his back and then drew away.

'See, human already. Anyway, see you later, eh.' He said, and quickly walked away.

**finis**

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Let me know what you thought.

I feel bad for leaving them to hang so I'm thinking of writing a sequel... what do you think?


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